A/N: Well, howdy! I promised that I would give Sunshine some love when YNB was done, so I didn't want to disappoint. :) First 3 post week in a while! Thanks for being patient. I think you're swell. And thanks to ilovemysteries for being a speed demon. No relation to Mr. C.

Chapter 11

After they stopped at the hotel so she could get ready and have a bite to eat, they were on their way to the club. She was so excited that she was nearly vibrating. She was desperate for some normalcy, and going to see her guys play was exactly what she needed. She had come to love the crowds, at least when she was a little stoned. The loud music, the swell of people, even their thoughts… She could just get lost in it. Or carried away by it. And now, she could ignore them even more effectively, or even block them out completely.

They found a place to park, and Eric walked to the front of the line to glamour his way in. She pushed ahead of him. "Hey, Reggie. We're with The Wolves."

"Hey, Sunshine. They're expecting you. Go on in."

She waved at a few people in line who called out to her, and then Eric followed her inside.

The Wolves were setting up onstage. Alcide put his guitar down on its stand and held his arms open wide. Sookie squealed, and then ran to him and jumped. He caught her in the air and spun her around. Eric cringed, but they had somehow managed to pass as human, even though they hadn't moved like it. Not really.

She was so open and free with them. Even standing on a stage with dozens of people watching her, she was completely relaxed. Self-confident. Happy. It was like nothing existed but them. And then when she looked over at him, she just locked up. She was nervous and insecure and somehow felt rejected. He went over their interaction this evening and had no idea how she could feel that way. He had offered. Enthusiastically. He sent her calm and reassurance through the bond. She met his eyes, and then looked down and away before turning back to her wolves and forgetting about everything else again. And they were completely relaxed with her, too. Including grabbing her ass and making out with her behind the curtain, in the case of the smaller one. Jake. Fucking Were.

A few minutes later, Alcide kissed her in the middle of the stage, she hugged Maria-Star, and then she jumped down and turned to Eric. It took her a second or two to remember, and then she shut down again. He met her halfway, took her hand, and led her to a table. It was round, and they both sat facing the stage with their knees and shoulders touching. He kept hold of her hand and rubbed it with his thumb and pushed reassurance at her again. She did seem to relax. A little, at least.

He was about to ask her a little more about herself when The Werewolves started to play. Alcide winked at Sookie and stepped up to the microphone. They started with a grunged up version of (She's) Sexy & Seventeen by the Stray Cats. Sookie started to laugh and wanted to join the crowd of people that had just swarmed the dance floor, but Eric was still holding her hand. She looked at him and he smiled and said, "Come on. Let's dance."

She bit her lip in indecision, but she really wanted to lose herself in the music. And maybe she could go back to feeling a little more comfortable with him. Touching him seemed to help. "Ok." They walked hand in hand and he pulled her to him when they got near the back corner.

He was a really good dancer, and finally she was really starting to relax. The band segued straight into a cover of She's So Cold by The Rolling Stones, and that even made Eric chuckle. After that, it was a punk rendition of Sunshine On My Shoulders by John Denver. She was having such a good time, but she was crying a little at how sweet Alcide and Jake and Maria-Starr were to dedicate their first three songs to her. She was going to miss them so much. Eric pulled her into his chest to hide the blood on her face. She was so glad he was wearing black. And God, it felt good to be in his arms.

When the song finished, there was lots of applause and hoots and hollers for the band, and a bunch of people called out to her. They knew that the last one was for her, anyway. Alcide said, "Love you, Doll," into the mic and then they started playing one of their originals. It was hard-hitting and fast, and Sookie looked longingly at the mosh pit. Eric tilted her head up. "Your control is remarkable, but no. If anyone gets an elbow to the nose, you could lose control." And then he smiled. "Or maybe start licking their face." He had a twinkle in his eye, and instead of embarrassing her, it made her laugh a little, despite herself. And it kind of broke what tension was left.

Sookie seemed to know half the people in the bar, at least. And they all knew her by name, although that name was Sunshine. By the end of the night, he was almost thinking of her as Sunshine, too.

They danced for the whole show, just stopping to sit between sets. She ducked backstage before the band went back on, and came back covered in fresh wolf scent. Eric led her back on the floor, and they danced again. Near the end of the night, The Wolves started playing a ballad, their first (and judging by the time, last) one of the night. Eric pulled her even closer, and Sookie looked up at him. He wanted to kiss her. All over, but on the lips would do. He did, but it was little more than a peck, like the one back in the safehouse. Sookie closed her eyes, and he wondered if he should deepen it, but then she opened them and pulled away and the moment passed.

After their second set, Sookie ran up and helped The Werewolves haul their equipment to the van and get it packed back up in the roof bag and cargo bin on the back hatch.

The wolves followed them to the safehouse, and Sookie was so excited that she was nearly bouncing out of her seat. And so hungry and horny that she could hardly stand it.

Eric had already closed the bond on her end - she was confused enough without feeling his emotions. He was considering closing it on his as well, at least temporarily. As hungry (for blood and sex) as he was, her arousal on top of his own was nearly torture. Especially since it was over Weres, for fuck's sakes. And not him. But he needed to be able to supervise, at least from a distance. He had no intention of staying in the room to watch a werewolf orgy with his child in the middle.

When they got back to the safehouse, she led the wolves into the bedroom that she'd started the night before in. Eric sat on the couch with a book, clenching his jaw.

He could hear them talking and laughing, and she felt happy and relaxed, if not more than a little horny. She was a different person with them. He wanted her to be like that with him. Their talking and laughing turned into giggling, and then quiet with the occasional laugh or moan or bit of conversation. She was enjoying herself very much, although the doubt and confusion had crept back in. But she was firmly in control. Even her hunger was in check, although she was definitely hungry. He stifled a moan of his own when she came the first time, and her hunger had lessened significantly.

Why did this bother him so much? He wouldn't be feeling this way if she were feeding and fucking from a human, would he? Of course not. It was a necessity, at least the feeding part.

Maybe she was right, and there was no real difference. She was feeding and fucking, just like she would have been doing if they were humans and not shifters. He needed to just let this go. At least she had finally agreed to fuck someone. Of course, if they fucked each other, that wouldn't be a problem. And the biting and feeding would only strengthen their bond.

If she wanted to rest in his room again tonight, he was going to have to release this tension somehow. He would have been near bloodlust if he were younger, he was sure. He had nearly cum the last time she did, and a second time might just take him over the edge on its own. But he was prepared to help it along in the shower if need be.

Sookie called out Alcide's name and the wolf actually howled, and Eric didn't have to lift a finger.

…

When they arrived at the safehouse, Sookie took Alcide's hand and pulled him into the bedroom, with Jake and Maria-Star following along behind. She closed the door behind them and hoped that Eric wouldn't come in. As much as she wanted her guys, she didn't think she'd be able to do anything but feed with him standing there watching. She was thinking about him too much already. But it seemed like he was staying put, so she relaxed and finally just got to catch up with her guys and gal. They were all snuggled up on the bed, with Sookie between Jake and Alcide (which was almost always her spot), and Jake started kissing her neck and had his hand up her shirt. Alcide kissed Maria-Star, and then turned his head and kissed Sookie. Soon, they were all naked, and Alcide was fucking Maria-Star from behind at the foot of the bed, and Sookie was riding Jake while he was sitting against the headboard. He couldn't seem to get enough of her fangs, and his mouth on them was driving her crazy. When she started to cum, she bit his neck, and was able to stop after only a couple of mouthfuls.

"Holy fuck, Sunshine. That was… Fuck! I had no idea being bit could feel like that." Alcide and Maria-Star had finished, too, and they all fell back into a snuggle pile to catch their breath.

After they had recovered a little, the girls sat up and got ready to get the boys revved up again. They were kneeling in the middle of the bed kissing and playing up each touch and caress. They rarely went any further and, more often than not, it was more to get the boys ready for round two than because they were really into each other. But she loved Maria-Star and it still felt nice, and it was so hot to see how much it turned the guys on.

"Bite me, Sookie. I want to feed you, too."

Sookie bent down and licked Maria-Star's nipple, sucked it into her mouth, and bit. Maria-Star moaned, but Alcide moaned louder, drowning her out. Sookie just took a bit of blood and then licked the wounds slowly.

"Damn, Sunshine. Get over here so I can fuck you senseless."

Sookie giggled and laid down next to Alcide and kissed him. It was time for some more fun. And she was mostly able to ignore the knot in her stomach and the nagging thoughts about how part of her wished it was Eric. This was just easy uncomplicated sex with her best friends. Her family.

When it was a little more than an hour before dawn, she walked her wolves to the door and kissed them all goodbye. She promised she'd be in touch once she had a phone number to give them, and cried a little again after they left. Eric was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Are you ok?"

She shrugged. "I guess I'll get a shower. Can I sleep downstairs with you again?"

"Yes, of course, Sookie. Makers keep their children close at first. It is best."

Half an hour later, Sookie knocked on his bedroom door.

"Enter."

He had gotten a shower, too, and was standing in front of his closet with damp hair tangled around his shoulders and a towel wrapped around his waist. She swallowed and averted her eyes and crawled onto the bed, curling up near the edge again.

He was pleased to feel her lust when she looked at him, but she was so timid again, after he had been so sure that they had made progress this evening. He pulled off the towel and dressed in a pair of sleep pants. When he looked over at her, she quickly clamped her eyes shut. He did smile at that, and went around the bed and climbed in behind her. He pulled her against him immediately and, a little at a time, she started to relax. He kissed behind her ear and held her a little tighter until the sun carried her away.

He let his mind drift for a while, enjoying the feel of her in his arms and the scent of her hair. The sun had risen some time ago, and he was nearly at rest himself when she turned over and kissed him. It was slow and sensual and… delicious. Her eyes were closed and her left hand, the one that wasn't trapped under her body, was in his hair. She was aroused, but it was strangely muted and far away. It nagged at him a little. She pulled away and snuggled into him before falling back into her daytime rest. He stroked her hair and kissed her head and wondered how in the hell she was able to do that. And what he would have done if Pam was sent to her final death and he didn't have such an effective distraction.

And then he realized that he could still feel Sookie, even though she was obviously dead for the day. It was barely there, and it was… inert. He knew that once Karin and Pam were at rest, he was unable to feel them at all. They were, effectively, dead. But he could definitely feel Sookie. And their bond should be… lesser. Unfortunately.

Six hundred and fifty years ago or so, during a full moon in France, he had rescued a woman from three Weres. He was hungry and they were playing with her and she was terrified. He killed the wolves, and she was his for a time. The Weres had killed her family, and she had no place to go. He needed someone to make arrangements and procure necessities during the day, and she would be a handy fuck and feed on his trip to China. He didn't love her, of course, and he hadn't meant to bond with her, but she was gravely injured by the wolves and again after she was raped and beaten by a group of French soldiers. He killed them all.

When bubonic plague had spread through the ship, he resisted giving her blood for two or three days. He did not want to bond with her, but he was fond of her and hated to see her suffer. Finally, he gave in, but it just didn't seem to help. The lesions on her body healed, but she burned with fever, continued to vomit, and then her lungs started to fill with fluid. She slipped into a coma and died a few days later.

As he drifted into his rest, he realized that Sookie felt almost exactly the same as Johanne had when she'd been comatose and near death.